Door indicating device



Nov. 9, 1937. H. H. STARKS 2,093,471

DOOR INDICATING DEVICE Filed May 27, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v 6/ '0 4a 40 /o a I 17! -5 a m 'Wl mrk E; i 5

ATTORN EYS Patented Nov. 9, 1937 UNITED STAES PATENT OFFICE Application May 27,

4 Claims.

My present invention relates to the art of indicating devices and more particularly to a door indicating device, which is intended for installation, principally, on hotel or stateroom doors,

and the like, to indicate the time at which the occupant of the room desires to be called, or that they do not wish to be disturbed; to indicate that they have laundry to be sent out; cleaning to be done; or any other service that may be desired,

Patrons of hotels quite often keep irregular hours and, if they are transient, their habits are usually not known to the hotel employees; consequently, it is desirable that a convenient means be employed so that the patron may indicate to the hotel attendant such definite information as will insure them against being disturbed and further assure that such service calls as they may wish made will be attended to.

My present device is intended to serve this purpose. It provides, on the outside and inside of the hotel door, dials which may be set from the inside and be fixedly held in the set position. Means are further provided whereby the mechanism is released from its frictional lock every time the door is opened, so that the indicator will automatically be reset and will indicate that it is not in operation.

Other and more specific objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a horizontal section taken through my device as installed in a door and showing the cooperating door jamb.

Figure 2 is a perspective View showing the tubular housing of my frictional securing means.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the door in open position.

Figure 4 illustrates in perspective view one of the hands used on my indicating device.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view in elevation taken through the center of my device showing the same in its closed, or locked, position.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the bolt of my device.

Figure '7 is a perspective view showing the mushroom tube used in my frictional device.

Figure 8 is a face view of the inside dial of my indicating device as it appears on the inside of the hotel room.

Figure 9 is a face view of the dial appearing on the outside of. the hotel door.

Referring to the drawings, throughout which like reference characters indicate like parts, It]

1936, Serial No. 82,145

designates the tubular housing in which my frictional securing means is disposed. This, I prefer to make tubular to the end that in installing the device it is only necessary to drill a round hole into the edge of the door, after the showing of Figure 1, and, then to insert the tubular member into the hole which is bored the full depth of the body of the tubular housing which is driven into the solid wood; the points l2, which extend out beyond the end proper of the tube, seat into solid wood and secure the housing against turning. A hole is formed transversely through this tube, as H, sothat the indicator shaft l6 may pass freely therethrough. Shaft I6 is journaled in inward extensions I8 and 20 of indicator plates 22 and 23, respectively. These plates are fixedly secured to opposite sides of the door as by screws 24.

On the outer face of the door I provide an indicating pointer 26 which is secured in position by a screw or rivet 28. On the inside facing of the door I provide pointer 30 which is held in place by knob 32 which in turn is secured to shaft l6 by a set screw as 33. Each of the indicating pointers, as 26 and 30, is provided with a weighted portion as 34 and is also provided with means for keying it on shaft IS in a manner to prevent rotation thereon. One convenient means is by having an inwardly extending key member as 36 which is adapted to engage suitable key Ways as 38 cut in shaft I6.

Disposed within housing I0 is the piston 40 which is guided at one end by bearing 42 and, at the other end, adapted to slide within the mushroom tube member 44; to insure that piston 40 will not be forced out of. the mechanism and also to guide the same and hold it against rotation which might twist spring 46, I provide outwardly extending detents 41 which are adapted to slide within slots 48 formed in member 44. Compression spring 46 tends to force piston 40 out of the bore 49 of member 44 when the door, bearing the device, is opened. When, however, the door is closed, piston 40 is held against movement by the bearing plate 50, which in turn is secured to the door frame 5| and thus spring 46 exerts its effort to force the mushroom head 52 of member 44 into close frictional engagement with shaft 16.

Around member 44 is disposed a second spring 54 which is disposed between collar 55, which is secured to housing I8, and collar 58, which is secured to the end of member 44, after the showing of Figure 3. When so arranged the tendency of this spring is to force member 4 to the left as viewed, or away from engagement with shaft l6.

Method of operation In operating my device the user, grasping knob 32, sets pointer 30 to the desired designation 6!]. In so doing, by means of the interconnection afforded by shaft l6, he moves pointer 25 to the corresponding indication 62 on the outside plate so that the hotel employee can see from the outside of the door the service desired. To effect this transfer of information it is necessary that the indication on the dials must be placed in in- I verse order. The setting thus accomplished is held in place by the pressure of the mushroom head 52 against shaft 56, the setting being merely locked by frictional engagement which is not sufficient to prevent setting of the indicator.

As soon as the door is opened, however, spring 46 instead of being compressed by piston 49 and exerting its force against shaft 56, now expels piston 40 after the showing of Figure 3 and spring 54 moves the mushroom head to the left, as viewed, away from engagement with shaft 56.

As soon as the shaft it is thus freed from its frictional securing means the weighted pointers 26 and 36 carry shaft i6 around so that the pointers pointdownwardly to an unmarked portion of the indicator and thus assure that an indicator setting will not be carried over from one room occupant to another.

The foregoing description and the. accompanying drawings are believed to clearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this is merely illustrative andthat such changes in the invention may be made as are fairly within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a door and its frame, of a rotary shaft mounted in said door, a weighted, indicating pointer on said shaft having a normally non-indicating position, means operated by the closing of the door for retaining the shaft in adjusted position, and means operated a normally non-indicating position,

upon the opening of the door releasing said retaining means and the weighted pointer to said non-indicating position.

2. The combination with a door and its frame, of a rotary shaft mounted in said door, a weighted, indicating pointer on said shaft having resilient means operated by the closing of the door for retaining the shaft in adjusted position, and means operated upon the opening of the door releasing said retaining means and the weighted pointer to said non-indicating position.

3. The combination with a door and its frame, of a rotary shaft mounted 'in said door, a weighted, indicating pointer on said shaft having a normally non-indicating position, means comprising a resiliently mounted cylinder adapted to frictionally engage said shaft, a piston within said cylinder and co-acting means on said cylinder and shaft operated by closing the door for retaining the shaft in adjusted position, and means operated upon the opening of the door releasing said frictional retaining means and the weighted pointer to said non-indicating position.

4. The combination with a door and a frame, of a rotary shaft mounted in said door, weighted indicating pointers secured to each end of said rotary shaft, said pointers having a normally non-indicating position, means comprising a resiliently mounted tubular member, one end being closed, which end is adapted to frictionally engage the said rotary shaft, a piston within said tubular member having a resilient member between the said piston and the said closed end of the tubular member, means to cause the said tubular member and the said rotary shaft to coact, said co-action being operated by closing the door which retains the said rotary shaft in an adjusted position, and means operated upon the opening of the door for releasing the said frictional retaining means, and allowing the weighted pointers to assume a non-indicating position.

HENRY H. STARKS. 

